CHAPTER 10
The graveyard fell cold, silent and still. Bated breath and anticipation held by the living like a thick fog over the nightmare landscape. Death and foreboding lingered heavier than usual over the scene as all eyes focused on the human girl and vampire at the center of attention.
Perched atop a squared tombstone, Cake was the first to break the still silence of the night, leaping clean and quickly to the earth to her sister. Hysterical tears threatened to leak from her blue eyes as she skidded towards the vampire and human. Marshall Lee stared forwards, unseeing the red that seeped down his pale grey hands. His hold of the human relinquished to Cake's cradling arms and he crawls backwards away from the scene.
"Fionna! Baby! Sweetie! Snap out of it!" the feline pleads gently.
None take real notice as the last spectator takes purposeful steps towards the mixed gang of heroes. The lavish lounge he rested on makes an audible "poof" of sparkling magic and light as he steps away from it.
His beady eyes focus upon the lamp, his magical artifact that the boy has tucked under his gangly arms. A forced smile twitches on his overly peachy face, his brain gears rapidly devising his next play.
"What did you do?!" Cake accused, hissing at the undead demon.
The vampire doesn't speak, but his eyes never leaving the cat and human.
Gritty, mocking laughter turned all attention back to Magique Gene. The rotund supernatural held his gut as he finds merriment where the others cannot. The sound is grating, refocused Marshall Lee's resolve as his glare burns holes into the genie's form. Gene takes the menacing glare in stride as his mirth roles away and he returns the vampire a condescending smirk.
"You've done well, hero," he rumbles, "killing... the last human."
Resolutely Marshall Lee pushes himself up, disregarding his opponents compliment. Joining his side stroll up Finn and Jake, sharing looks that could kill towards their supernatural foe. Gene remains cool under pressure, the last of his jovial visage turning serious and dour. Reaching into his inner coat pocket, rolling a familiar soul filled vial between his fingers.
"You've got me at a fortunate disadvantage Vampire, and in a giving mood," claims the genie, his posture filled with swagger and confidence as he proposes, "My power is in your hands, well... you're young human friends hands, actually. You may have killed the maiden, but my powers can revive her. I'd even consider returning her soul. I'm certain we can work out a wish."
Gingerly, Finn tucks the lamp closer into his chest, as Jake growls untrustingly.
A pathetic snivel echoes from Cake as she cradles her sister closer into her. Big blue cat eyes search out the magical lamp in question, imploring.
Marshall Lee, unexpectedly, chooses to let out a bitter laugh.
"No deal!" he bites, shocking the cat whom whimpers once more. His show of disregard inspires bravado in the males though as they stand straighter.
Gene's pudgy pink cheeks sour.
"I don't need your pipe dreams to save Fionna, and besides... I'm still here to kill you." the lanky undead youth claims. A beat passes and Marshall is airborne, fangs and claws extended to strike. Finn and Jake follow the charge a moment later and for just a moment, a single bead of sweat slides down the fat man's cheek.
A moment passes...
... and the genie is gone.
He graveyard is gone. Sky and earth. All that remains is an inky void that the four heroes unexpectedly find themselves floating weightlessly in. Murmurs and gasps echo throughout the black in search of their slippery opponent. Marshall Lee curses under his breath as he snarls up into nothing, bored and frustrated with this cheap trickster. Finn whimpers as he attempts to right himself, not accustomed to floating in the thick nothing which Jake seems to take in stride.
"You have no power here Vampire," Gene's disembodied voice casts over them, "You can't save her."
"Shut up," Marshall Lee snarls, desiring to strike out, but knowing it's wasted effort.
"This is my realm, my rules. You're all powerless to stop me and the girl is mine," Proof of point a strangled cry escapes Fionna's throat as she suddenly jerks back to life in Cake's paws. The cat startles back in horror as her human sister suddenly coughs up blood and writhes in pain.
Marshall Lee's resolve falters as he uselessly reaches out for her, unable to move forward in the jelly like black surrounding them. The pained screams of the two sisters, one in suffering and one in distress cut through the vampire's cold heart. He can't stay focused on just their dire situation for long as Finn cries out from his left.
"Jake!" Finn blurts out and the vampire quickly turns his attention to the canine at his right as painlessly the shape shifting dog begins to lose his shape. A confused breath is all Jake can utter as his yellow fur twists, melts and mutates towards a puddle of ooze.
"No!" Finn's voice is overshadowed by Cake's dual cry for, "Marshall Lee!"
Chains snake up from bellow the darkness, wrapping and strangling the feline within seconds. The cat struggled for a moment before being yanked away from Fionna and into the swallowing blackness. Human and vampire remain helpless, unable to maneuver with any purpose in the endless void.
"You can't even save yourself," Gene affirmed.
A sharp pain mysteriously courses through the vampire's spine and chest. He doesn't cry out, shock preventing a vocal expression as red quickly fills the vampire's throat. With some effort Marshall Lee looks down his front at the long, plain wooden spear penetrating his chest.
"Stop it," Finn's pained voice fills in for all his companions. Hot tears of horror and fear fill the young boy, clutching the lamp in desperation. The hero whimpers at his own helplessness. His best friend melted away, Cake sucked down into the abyss, the great Vampire King skewered upon a stake while the girl they came to rescue writhed in pain out of reach.
Another spike appears, squelching and tearing through Marshall's stomach and spine. A third, fourth, and fifth sticking through his battered form. He doesn't cry out, holding it all back with a strained growl.
The growl is enough though, reaching the dying girl's ears through her own pained cries. Almost miraculously she opens her blue eyes and turns her gaze towards the suffering vampire. A faint smile stretches her blood painted lips as she meets Marshall Lee's gaze in apology. For just a moment, he could swear, that she's really there, one last time.
"Looks like this is your last adventure boys," Gene finalized.
"MAKE IT STOP!" Finn uselessly screamed.
A pale grey hand paws towards Fionna. Her bright blue eyes grey in color. Marshall's own demon eyes turn down in defeat. Finn's heart aches in his own chest, strangling his sobbing breaths.
"You had the chance. You should have made a wish."
"TAKE IT ALL BACK GENIE!" the human begs.
"Is that your wish?" the disembodied supernatural hums.
"No!" Marshall weakly gurgled his words, barely able to look up.
Suddenly Finn's vision clears, a moment of clarity inspiring him amidst the chaos. Wishes were the start of all this mess he notes, glancing around at his companions. Wishes were where the genie's power lay, but it took a wish maker to complete the equation. Finn decided that he could undo the wish, but the genie must have known that and encouraged the deed regardless. Another question that gestated in his brain, as he glanced down at the artifact in his arms. Hadn't the genie told them that he was at a disadvantage much earlier? With all of his power over them, why would he say such a thing.
"Why?"
"Why what boy?" a tinge of impatience sounded in Gene's voice.
"You haven't touched me." Finn's brow furrowed.
"You're," he hesitated before claiming boldly, "just a unimportant human. Not a threat to my greatness."
"But, no one. No one was a match for you. You're just hurting people because you can. Or... or is it because of this?"
Finn holds up the lamp as the genie materializes before him. It's just within reach and Finn knows that it could be snatched away in a heartbeat. However the Genie stands stoic, making no move to reclaim the golden object. Finn studied this reaction, and chooses to test out his newly formed theory.
He's got nothing else to lose.
"That old thing." scoff Gene.
"This is important to you." Finn disagrees, barely stretching it closer to the genie.
"Is this the source of your magic dude?" Finn entices no reactions, "Does everything go away if I destroy this?"
Finn reaches for the scimitar at his side, intent on cutting the lamp in two. He draws it up to his eyelevel to find instead himself holding a large sunflower stem. Quickly the human discards the transformed weapon and instead attempts to tear the lamp in half with strength and teeth.
With a pop of air, Finn is surprised to find himself locked inside an hour glass, almost causing him to drop the lamp. He stands within the sand less top half of the time keeping cylinder, still unharmed by the genie. His resolve redoubles as he chooses instead to crush the patina encrusted lamp between his hands. With a snap and twist of his hands, the Genie flips the hourglass on Finn, intent on drowning the human in white sand.
Staying focused, Finn continues to press down on the old lamp, bending the handle out of shape. His heart races as the sand pours over him, but in comparison to what he did to his friends, this is nothing. Scare tactics, he decides.
A whining crack forms in the lamp, and with it a crack in the hourglass.
Finn smiles toothily.
"YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" Gene's eyes widened with crazed anger.
With one last deep breath, Finn pushes with one last adrenaline filled strain and crushes the lamp into a deformed piece of twisted metal. The deed done, Finn quickly looks up to see what effect it has on Gene as the sand rains down, blocking a clear view. Waiting on baited breath, the human hears nor sees nothing in the void but sand as it engulfed him. His blue eyes close in disappointment, blackness blocks his vision for only a moment. Than abruptly, bright light penetrates his lids.
Finn opens his eyes again in confusion, finding himself on all fours, once again outside in the desert. His fingers still clutch tightly around the cracked lamp in his hands and no sign of the genie at all. Tentatively he searches the landscape and sky, the bright full moon and stars lighting the island in a welcome glow. After a long silence Finn finally speaks "Jake?"
After a beat of silence, Finn desperately calls out, "Jake! Anybody!"
Suddenly a rough, hoarse cough catches his attention and he whirled around to find his canine brother pulling his head clear of the sand. He seems to be somewhat disoriented still, frantically barking out as he examines his body.
Relieved, Finn dashes over, sliding on his knees briefly to put his hand over his brothers shoulders, "Jake calm down! It's okay buddy. The genie is gone."
Jake blinds twice at his brother before letting out a heavy sigh, "We won? Wow, that was a major intense battle. How'd you do it?"
Finn laughs, helping brother up with his free hand. In his other hand he show the mangled lamp and Jake nods in understanding approval.
"I was worried there for us... for like a second."
"But we totally pulled through."
"Of course!"
"Now the question is how we get back to the Candy Kingdom," Jake ponders, shaking sand out from his floppy ears. Another pause of silence passes by the two adventurers before Jake suddenly remembers, "Marshall Lee! Cake! Fionna!
"Oh Math!" Finn cries out in remembering too, leaning down to meet Jake's eyes, "I almost forgot about them."
"You don't think, that..." Jake wrings his paws.
"...that they're gone?" Finn completes, "The genie dude brought them here. If everything he's done was undone than maybe they're back in their world. That's good right?"
Jake frown thoughtfully. So many questions remain unanswered about the whole situation and all the disorder that the Ice King's wish and genie's magic created. Choosing his words carefully, Jake opens his maw to speak when a much more shrill scream escapes him.
"AIR! Oh my babies I'm drowning!"
They instantly recognize the voice and hurry over a small rubble covered dune to find Cake the cat, her eyes closed tight as she swims over the sand like it's water. They both call the cat's name out as the slide down the dune to her side.
"What? Where?" Cake snaps out of her nightmare, swinging blindly.
"Cake it's us! It's over," Finn assures, bending back from a claw swipe.
Blue eyes focus carefully on the two boys, "Oh good. Thank Glob. Fionna! Where's my sister?"
Immediately the group renew their search for their companions, climbing dune after dune. Passing by the remains of a long stone needle in pieces in the dirt. Soon they see the temple holding the King of Mar's statue they'd came across earlier in the adventure. Cake gracefully speeds ahead of the group, calling out Fionna's name the whole way. Another shout of her sister's name barely escapes her mouth when she spied movement from within the temple.
Ragged and worn looking, Marshall Lee steps out from between pillars, cradling gently in his arms, Fionna's pale body, dressed once again in the hospital gown they'd left her in. Tired eyes look up towards the cat as she races down the sand.
"I'm sorry Cake, Fionna... I don't know what to do."
Heavily he drops to his knees, still holding up the girl. Hysterically once again Cake roars tears over her sister's pale body. Injuries and vampire bites bruising her skin, grim reminders of the battle that they were force to face. Solemnly Jake and Finn can only stare at the scene, their heroics being ineffectual at the steps of death's door.
"I don't know what to do, Fi," Marshall Lee sniffs, barely showing signs of tears.
He cradles her small teenage body a little tighter. Another muffled choke sounds.
"You can start by getting off me," a voice not his own startles the vampire up.
Cake's tearful eyes fill with renewed hope.
"What?"
"I said, get offa me," Fionna actively smooshed Marshall Lee's face with her palms. Confused, shocked and a little indignant, Marshall Lee hesitates to move away.
"Give my baby room ta breath!" Cake mothers, helping to push Marshall Lee away with own paws.
"Bunny?" Marshall Lee stares, shoved away to allow Fionna to sit up on her own.
"Paste face," Fionna answered back with a weak smile.
Marshall Lee returned a half cocked smile of his own.
"Baby!" Cake finally rejoiced, wrapping her arms around her sister, despite what she just insisted about giving her room. "You're here! You're alright!"
"Thanks to all of you," Fionna laughs softly, stroking her sister's fur back.
Her insight into the situation gives the others pause and Fionna can see a wish for explanation in their looks.
"I could hear and see everything," she begins unwavering, "but I couldn't react. I found myself in the creepy old dude's castle and was compelled to just do whatever he said. I remember you guy's coming to get me and I wanted nothing more than to go with you guys, but I couldn't do anything. Than that fat ole peach butt brought me here to pick a fight with you, which should have been fun, but I couldn't do anything on my own."
The vampire starts at that revelation, his crimson eyes finding the twin bite marks along her tender throat.
"Sorry about that Fi, biting you and all, but you were pretty tasty," Marshall admits, recieving a brisk slap from Cake. Fionna just laughs it off again, claiming, "Takes more than some love bite to kill me!"
Akwardly Marshall Lee blushes at the remark.
"Although I feel a little drained from it," the girl plays with the tender bruise with her finder. As both teens refuse to make contact, the last teen, Finn suddenly blurts out, "Oh! I see what you did there!"
Marshall Lee apologizes for biting her, but she was pretty tasty.
Fionna says it would take more than a love bite from a vampire to kill her.
BLUSHES
It takes a moment before Finn suddenly blurts out, "OH, I see what you did there!"
Another akward blush colors Marshall, Fionna's and now Finn's cheeks. Cake scoffs and Jake just shakes his head, joining the feline in helping the human girl to stand again.
"Let's find a way off this island and get home."
AN: I can't apologize enough about the EPIC delay. I hope to make an epilogue about the going home piece, but i wouldn't hold your breaths. I want to definitely thank all of you for reading and commenting who did. I'm glad you enjoyed the story thus far. Also small apology for typo's and grammar, i'm going to try to go back and fix those.